An end of an era at South Carolina

When Marcus Lattimore arrived at South Carolina, Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks were coming off a 7-6 season and had yet to experience the success many of the fans hoped for when the Ol’ Ball Coach was hired.“I’d been here five years. I was a pedestrian 35-28,” Spurrier said Wednesday. “We were averaging seven wins and five to six losses a year. Then we signed Marcus Lattimore.”As the saying goes, the rest is history.The former Byrnes star made an immediate impact, carrying USC to an SEC Eastern Division title his first season on campus while winning the National Freshman of the Year award.He didn’t stop there, though. Carolina won 11 games last season for the first time in school history and has a chance to match the feat with a win over Michigan in the Outback Bowl next month.After winning 35 games in five years before Lattimore’s arrival, Spurrier and Carolina have won 30 in three years with him.“We beat Georgia three times, we beat Tennessee three times, we beat Clemson three times, we beat Florida two out of three, we were 11-1 against those three teams,” Spurrier said. “We got our first top-10 (finish) ever. It’s all happened the last three years.”After experiencing what he called the best three years of his life and helping to change the culture of a program that was stuck in mediocrity, Lattimore announced Wednesday that he’ll forgo his senior season and enter the 2013 NFL Draft.The former Byrnes star, who suffered a severe season-ending right knee injury Oct. 27 against Tennessee, will likely sit out next season and look to return to the football field in 2014.After leaving his mark on the University of South Carolina, he’ll look to do the same in the NFL.“We have nothing to prove as far as a running back here or anywhere,” his father, Archie, said Wednesday. “He doesn’t have anything else to prove as a college running back so we decided to go ahead and declare.”Speaking in front of his family and a large contingent of media, Lattimore fought to hold back tears as he announced his decision.After the news conference he exchanged hugs with Spurrier and his family before leaving the South Carolina media room for likely the last time.While his career certainly was filled with highlights, it’ll also be remembered for season-ending injuries he suffered each of the last two years.Spurrier said that even though Lattimore was hurt at the end of the 2011 and 2012 seasons, his influence and fingerprints were all over the team.“Marcus is one of my favorite players, not because he’s the best running back maybe I’ve ever coached, but because he’s an unselfish player that wants to do what’s best for the team,” Spurrier said. “He does everything to be in the best physical shape he can be. It rubs off on the other guys, there’s no question about that. He does everything the coaches ask him to do and more. That’s the type of player he is.”After tearing his left ACL in 2011, Lattimore tore three ligaments in his right knee this season. He said it was tough at times to stay positive but that the cards and letters from all over the country kept him upbeat.He added that teammate and longtime friend Dylan Thompson also kept him in a good state of mind immediately after the injury.Thompson, USC’s quarterback and a former Boiling Springs star, visited Lattimore at his house just days after the injury.“He came by my house a couple of days after it happened, and we were just talking the whole time, not talking about my knee but just talking about whatever,” Lattimore said. “He said remember God doesn’t make mistakes, and that really put it into perspective for me. This happened for a reason. After that I didn’t ask ‘Why me?’ anymore. I was just ready to get the surgery and get back to work.”Thompson said he knew Lattimore was hurting physically and emotionally and said he wanted to do what he could to help in any way possible.“I just thought it’d be important since we’ve known each other. The coolest thing about it is when we’re together we don’t talk about football much. I told him I don’t even want to mention football. God doesn’t make mistakes. Even though it happened there’s a reason for it and a reason behind it,” Thompson said.“I felt like he’d be able to impact more people because of that and it turns out it became a national thing when that happened. His whole story is national. It just gives him a great opportunity to be a role model to a lot of people.”Thompson added that he supports Lattimore’s decision and believes it’s the best move for him.“I’ve known for a little while now. Honestly I felt like that was in his best interest to do. He’s worked hard toward his dream, and that’s always been his dream to play in the NFL.”Thompson said it’s been great playing with Lattimore and watching his impact on the program.“We talked about when we came in we wanted to win big games, and we’ve been able to do that. We kind of just wanted to change the culture at Carolina. That was kind of the main goal. He’s been the main part of that. I don’t think anybody will have anything bad to say about him.”Byrnes offensive coordinator Bobby Bentley, who coached Lattimore in high school, said he believes the running back made the best decision for him.“I was proud of him because I know he’s going to do his homework in any decision he makes. He always surrounds himself with good people. He did his homework and made a very wise decision. I think the bottom line is after you’ve had an injury like that, he’s already proved himself. He’s proved himself as a player, so why not just go pro. At the end of the day that’s what it boils down to,” he said.“From my standpoint, I’ve seen him play since third grade. I’ve known what’s in him, and I’ve known what’s in him as more than just a football player. He’s just a fine human being.”